ISLAMABAD: The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has assured the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration that it will provide a Rs1.9 billion grant to kick-start work on a much-delayed hospital.
ICT Administration Development and Finance Director Capt (retd) Mustaq Ahmed said the 200-bed Islamabad General Hospital (IGH) in Tarlai will be established to provide healthcare services to over 800,000 residents of the capital’s suburbs. The project was conceived in 1997, but has been pending since then as no funds could be allocated for the initiative.
SFD is a Saudi Arabian government agency which provides grants and soft loans for development projects to developing countries.
Ahmed said that the assurance came during a meeting at ICT Complex on Wednesday between SFD Chief Engineer Abdullah M Al-Shoaibi and Islamabad Chief Commissioner Zulfiqar Haider. The meeting was also attended by Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Mujahid Sherdil and interior ministry officials.
During the meeting, Haider briefed Sohaibi about the project’s cost and design. “It is a positive step…the SDF has taken,” Ahmed said adding that a memorandum of understanding will be signed in the next meeting, after which construction work can kick off.
He said the hospital will also have modern labs and an operation theatre, besides a residential colony for hospital staff. He said that the project will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, 200 beds will be made functional, while the second phase will see the number of beds increased to 500.
Currently, patients from rural areas have to visit Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Polyclinic or the Capital Development Authority Hospital to get treatment. All three are in Urban Islamabad.
According to the Pims and Polyclinic administrations, 80 to 85 per cent of patients visiting the hospitals every day were from rural areas.
“Rural residents don’t have a hospital despite the fact the area was declared a district in 1981,” said another official, while asking not to be named.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2015.